In 2017, we celebrate our 60th anniversary on Old Forge Mountain. We have thousands of Camp Highlander alumni all over the world, many of whom have continued the Highlander tradition within their families. Each month, we’ll profile one family who has come to the mountain for generations and experienced the magic and long-lasting positive effects of camp.
Our first family in the spotlight are the Stephans. Beth Tarantino Stephan has worked with camp for several years. If you’re an alum, you likely know her!
Name: Beth Tarantino Stephan or just “Tarantino”
How many years have you been working at Camp Highlander?
I have spent a total of 23 summers as a staff member at Camp Highlander!
What roles have you held as a staff member at camp?
I held positions as C.I.T., Junior Counselor, Senior Counselor, Arts and Crafts Specialist, C.I.T. Program Coordinator, Office Babe, Camp Mom/Resource Facilitator
What are your children’s names and ages?
My children’s names are Erin (18), Robert (17), Annie (15), and Thomas (12).
How many summers have you and your kids attended camp thus far?
I have worked at Camp Highlander for a total of 23 years. My kids have basically grown up at camp. Erin has spent 10 summers at camp, Robert has spent 11 summers at camp, Annie has spent nine years as a camper and three as a toddler with a nanny, and Thomas has spent six summers as a camper and five with a nanny.
What has Camp Highlander meant to you?
Camp Highlander has been one of the biggest blessings of my entire life. When I started working at camp as a C.I.T. in 1986, I had no idea that it would have such a huge impact on my life. It has shaped who I am as a person. I have made friendships that have lasted a lifetime.
Every summer, friends from the past stop by the camp office and it’s so much fun to reminisce about our days at camp together and pick up right where we left off. There really is nothing in the “real world” that compares to the experience of living and working at summer camp. It’s an amazing gift to be able to teach and entertain children in a safe, fun, adventurous setting. Working with others who have that same goal in mind and pulling it off summer after summer is a thrill. When I return to the mountain every summer, I feel like I’m truly back home. My adult friends think I’m a little crazy to want to work at a summer camp, with kids and bugs and dirt … but I still love everything about it. I still have dreams at night about returning every summer and I get an anxious feeling in my stomach when the school district changes the calendar and I have to worry about the school year cutting into camp time. Camp is in my blood. I live the rest of the year with hopes of returning to my mountain home the next summer. We work hard, we play hard and it’s truly a job that I love waking up for every day that I am there!
How have you seen your children grow from the camp experience?
My children have learned so many amazing life skills from growing up at Camp Highlander. They have learned how to get along with others, to work as a team, to do chores, to care for themselves and others, to be independent, to be responsible, to be understanding of differences, to be compassionate and to be flexible. They have learned to win and lose with dignity and they have also learned to fail and have their camp family love them anyway. They have learned to be able to “unplug” from their electronics and survive. The experiences that they are afforded at camp are just good, clean, healthy fun.
Did you know that Camp Highlander alumni get a tuition discount for each child they send to camp?! Register today!
What are your favorite memories of camp?
My favorite memories as a staff member in my younger days are of campfires. Sitting on the hillside with the entire camp, watching fireflies, smelling that sweet smell of the grass with Bruce, Greg and/or Matt singing and Gaynell standing in the background are very special memories for me. There really is “more to this mountain than the eye can see.” And, guess what? “it belongs to you and me!” How awesome is that?!
One of my favorite memories from camp as an adult has been watching my children, from a distance, playing in the stream that runs through camp, running down the hill catching fireflies and laughing with friends. To be able to give my children the gift of the Camp Highlander experience has been one of the accomplishments I am most proud of in my life.
How have you seen camp evolve through the years?
Camp has continued to grow and improve continuously over the years. There are many traditions that have remained the same like Gaynell’s non-stop shenanigans, grace before meals, square dancing, talent shows, Monte Carlo, Color War, Counselor Hunt, blobbing, campfires, morning assembly, off-camp trips, and many more. There have also been many changes, but I like to say that the changes are “changes that are good for kids!” For example, remember the olden days of “Line Duty” where one counselor was on duty for all of girls’ or boys’ camp after lights out? Well, now there is a counselor on duty in every cabin at all times. While camp is still rustic, it is very important to Karl that camp is a beautiful and safe environment for all of our Highlander family. The Alexanders have really made quite an investment in maintaining and upgrading the facilities and equipment used in our activities. The leadership team works year-round to evaluate and make changes to our programs and policies based on feedback from staff, parents, and campers. As a parent, I appreciate the time, effort and care that goes into making changes for the good of the campers.
Three decades, one love. What or who has had the most impact on your Highlander experience?
I have truly been blessed for more than 30 years to work with amazing directors who care for and love the Mountain as I do. Mr. H, Gaynell and Melissa all hold a special place in my heart. All three of them truly love Camp Highlander and all that it stands for. All three continue to maintain a presence on camp and they keep the heart of Highlander beating strong.
Did you attend Camp Highlander as a camper or work as staff and now you send your kids to CH? Tell us your story! Email CH alumna, Julia, at today, and you could be our next Highlander Family Spotlight!
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